.xxiiij. Waffres. Take the Wombe of A luce, & sethe
here wyl, & do it on a morter, & tender cheese ther-to, grynde
hem y-fere; than take flowre an whyte of Eyroun & bete to-gedere,
then
take Sugre an pouder of Gyngere, & do al to-gerderys, & loke
that
thin Eyroun ben hote, & ley ther-on of thin paste, & than make
thin waffrys, & serue yn.

- Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books

Wafres, or wafers, were enormously popular in the
Middle Ages, and were very similar to our modern waffle. In cities
&
towns, wafer sellers (called wafereres) would stand on street
corners,
making wafers for customers passing by using an iron form resembling
our
old-fashioned waffle iron. The above recipe has as one of its main
ingredients
the womb of a pike, and it is thereby assumed that this wafer was
originally
intended to be eaten on a fish-day or during Lent. Caviar may make an
interesting
substitute, but this is essentially an unnecessary ingredient and has
been
left out of the modern version. The original recipe also calls for only
egg whites; assuming again that is a fish-day recipe, the egg yolks can
be added, making these wafres suitable for a meat-day.

1 dozen eggs, beaten

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbs. ginger

1 1/2 cup grated cheese (see note below)

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat together all ingredients to make a thick batter. Make the
wafers
by using a modern waffle iron and prepare according to the directions
for
your machine. Be careful - the cheese will melt while baking, so keep
an
eye on the wafers while they cook and oil or spray & clean your
iron
as necessary. The finished wafers should be light brown. Serve hot or
cold,
with honey as a garnish.